Farmhouse stays

Kanzaki-gun

Japan’s own green tourism: B&B-style accommodation

Green tourism allows visitors to experience the nature and local culture of the land while emphasizing encounters with local people. Known as noka minshuku (farmhouse stays) in Japan, popular plans include trying your hand at farming or getting a taste of Japanese home cooking, all while staying in a farmhouse. Kyushu is a thriving area for noka minshuku farmhouse stays. With accommodation prices usually under 10,000 yen, you can easily stay for less than a hotel would cost.

The farming life represents the essence of the Japanese lifestyle.

Similar in a sense to first-class hotels, noka minshuku farmhouse stays offer plenty of fine hospitality. They have very simple but clean rooms, home cooking using seasonal ingredients, and the genuine human warmth of interacting with locals at mealtimes and experiencing farm activities. Wherever you go, they are full of quintessentially Japanese experiences that you would never gain by merely visiting tourist spots. There are many experiences to be had for the first time: the Japanese lifestyle of removing one’s shoes, dining around an open hearth, and trying a wood-fired “Goemonburo” bath. You will carry these memories forever.

Saga’s original farm guesthouse: Guza

Although there are numerous farming guesthouses in Saga, the first was Guza, operated by Mr. and Mrs. Fujise, which opened in 2006. This popular guesthouse is a renovated storehouse that dates back 90 years. During the summer you can try making homemade pizza in the outdoor kiln. Meals are based on food harvested from the fields, accompanied by Guza’s own homemade doburoku rice wine — only Guza can offer such unique, warm homestay experiences. The best part of the trip is meeting people. Farmhouse stays remind us what is truly important.